Your paper should discuss a topic of science of your choosing. YOU MUST INCLUDE SCIENTIFIC STUDIES! At least one of your sources MUST discuss a scientific study that has been done on your topic. Your other sources may include CREDIBLE general scientific information on your topic.
SEE SYLLABUS FOR ALL DUE DATES
NO LATE PAPERS ACCEPTED Do not bring a copy and do not send an email – MUST be submitted via Canvas Paper is worth 15% of your overall grade. Points will be deducted for not following directions. Paper will be graded using the Dialogues of Learning Written Communication Rubric which can be found on Canvas.
At least 3 pages of text in length
12-point font
2 line spacing, 1 inch margins at most
Clear introduction, body, and conclusion
Sources start on page 4 (not included in the 3-page length requirement)
Cited sources in text in APA format (see Canvas for guide)
Cited sources (Works cited) in APA format (see Canvas for guide)
3 sources minimum MUST BE ONE PEER REVIEWED SOURCE
ALL OTHERS CREDIBLE SCIENCE SOURCES
Students are encouraged to use graphs and figures as long as they are properly labeled and cited, however, these DO NOT count towards the 3-page length requirement.
Submit paper as a Word Document to Canvas
This is a research paper – there should be no quotes within the body of the paper UNLESS you
are directly quoting someone’s opinion. !ll information that you obtain from your references
should be reworded using your own words as well as cited within the body of the paper. Failure to properly cite within the body of the paper (giving credit to the authors of your references) will result in a grade deduction of 20% of the possible paper grade (3 points)!
Outline of paper:
Your paper should include the following parts to make a cohesive research paper; remember to transition between all of these parts, not just jump from one thing to the next:
Introduction: What will you be writing about? Why is it important? How does this scientific idea relate back to your life? Take a thesis or position on your chosen topic. Find a “theme.” You will introduce what area of science you are discussing, and introduce the scientific study.
Body: Here you will describe the scientific study. Include:
Problem/Observation
include independent/dependent variable
Hypothesis
Methods used to test the hypothesis
Results and discussion
Conclusion: This should summarize what you discussed in your paper. We want to relate our results back to our thesis to form a scientific conclusion. Restate your thesis and the main support and have a concluding statement.
The report will be graded using the Dialogues of Learning Written Communication Rubric. Your TurnItIn score must be below 20 for this assignment. If the score is higher, I will have to submit it to the Academic Dean. This is worth 15 % of your grade.
CHOOSING YOUR SOURCES
Remember you will be choosing at least three sources for your paper. Again you must find articles within the reputable news that details a scientific experiment(s). Your articles may be about biology, chemistry, physics, geology, etc. The articles must be at least 200 words long and must have been published in the last three years. Sources for this assignment may include primary peer-reviewed scholarly journals, reputable online newspapers, or reputable online magazines. Below is a list of potential sources (however, you are not restricted to using these websites):
ScienceDaily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
NPR Science News: http://www.npr.org/sections/science/
The New York Times Science Section: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/index.html
National Geographic Daily News: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/?source=hp_news_header
Scientific American News: http://www.scientificamerican.com/section.cfm?id=news
The Scientist: http://www.the-scientist.com/
Discovery News: http://news.discovery.com/
Live Science: http://www.livescience.com/
Science News: http://news.sciencemag.org/
Nature News: http://www.nature.com/news/
Unacceptable sources for this assignment include personal websites, blogs, and wikis.
Avoid articles that do not describe a scientific study. For example, articles that describe a scientific career, describe the mission of a scientific organization, articles about new technology, breaking news about an event (such as a natural disaster or awarding of scientific prizes) related to science or technology, or articles that detail a list of scientific discoveries do not meet the requirements for the assignment.
Preparation assignments are due on their corresponding dates on the syllabus
Sources/Formatting
Submit a list of 6 APA formatted sources as a Word Document which you may be using in your paper to Canvas. 3 sources MUST be from peer reviewed scientific books or journals.
Sources will be checked for validity
Formatting will also be checked to help facilitate correct citations • These references should be in used in the Body portion of your paper.
Outline
Draft outline of your paper
